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Page 167
those invitations and summonses meant for dispatching to his Welsh and northern friends and vassals. It would have been ridiculous to send her men on long journeys on which doubtless they would lose their way more than once when his men already knew both the roads and the destinations. She had written a polite little note explaining this, signed "Alinor," and had received a polite note in return, agreeing that what she had done was best, signed "Ian."
Alinor had suffered a brief flash of temper over that note, which had not offered one word of information about Ian's activities, but the anger had not dampened her spirits at all. It had merely hardened her resolve. Ian had known she would be angry, and why. After all, the lands were hers, and she had a right to know what was happening. The trouble was, nothing was happening. Ian had racked his brains for something to say, but if he did not write plain lies, he had nothing else. Could he tell Alinor he was idling the days away, most unpleasantly and in the greatest discomfort, just to avoid returning to Roselynde? There had been one or two minor clashes with the outlaws the first week. After that, they had not come again. Ian did not really expect them to become desperate and come to him. It was far safer for them to raid other lands that were not so well guarded. No doubt they hoped the Roselynde forces would tire of watching and would come to the conclusion they had left for good.
The latter had been a possibility. Aside from the Roselynde farms, there was little to be had in the area. The Forest of Bere was large and, of course, totally uncultivated. There were beasts, but they were wary, and disenfranchised villeins were inexperienced huntsmen. Most men were fearful of raiding Church lands, and Peter of Winchester, who ruled Bishop's Waltham, was no frail reed when it came to protecting his own. Ian's Welshmen watched, but the outlaws did not make preparations to move. They were attacking Rowland's

 
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